Afternoons

Our weekly segment where we get the audiences' help on a problem. This is your chance to weigh in, give your two cents with reckless abandon! This week a bill that's caused a fall out between cousins. One of them crashed the other's car, only to find it's uninsured - who should foot the bill? Should it be shared?! We love getting your thoughts on 2101.

Afternoons podcast critic Elliot Childs shares what he's been listening to: Fela Kuti, Fear No Man - An eight episode documentary about Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti. The Idiot - Produced by Serial productions (who made Serial and S town)

Afternoons' book critic Catherine Robertson is here to share what she's been reading: Hood's Landing by Laura Vincent (Aporo Press) The Island Retreat by Cathy Kelly (Harper Collins) Seed by Elisabeth Easther (Penguin)

It's time for Mayoral minutes, where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve them and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to Ashburton, from where Mayor Liz McMillan joins Jesse.

How loyal are you and why? New Zealanders are signing up for more and more loyalty cards. In the first of a two-parter, 'Loyal or Lazy?', Katy Gosset asks: are they really saving us money?

We've talked a lot about fuel on the show recently, including alternative options like hydrogen, and today we're going to look at ammonia and urea. It's primarily used here as a fertiliser, to increase crop yields and boost pasture growth for sheep and dairy, however there's also demand for it as a green fuel. The bulk of our ammonia and urea supplies come from the Middle East, but one Kiwi company is hoping to change that. Liquium is a new company spun out of Wellington University that is aiming to boost domestic production efficiency and unlock new ammonia export markets. Chief Executive Paul Geraghty joins Jesse.

The United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association Women's basketball final has just been held, and for the first time a New Zealander was part of the winning team. Hamilton's Charlisse Leger-Walker is in the UCLA Bruins and they beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the championship game 79-51 on Monday our time. Charlisse played a pivotal role in the final, playing 26 minutes and landing two three pointers Charlisse's mum Leanne Walker, a former Tall Fern herself, was at the game with all the family, she chats to Jesse.

We kick off today in Hawke's Bay, where the Government has just committed to a loan of $18 million towards a proposed dam. A dam on the Makaroro River has been on the cards for years, various attempts to get it off the ground have been hit with controversy. This investment will mean the viability of the dam can be tested - to find out how they'll do that Jesse is joined by Tukituki water security project chairman Mike Petersen.

Could this be the secret to finding happiness?

The war in Iran is causing global market uncertainty, personal finance whizz Mary Holm joins Jesse to discuss what that might mean for you.

It's time to talk relationships so Jesse is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology Do let us know if there are any topics you would like Kirsty and Jesse to cover at [email protected] Today they'll discuss how to cope when there is so much bad news.

This morning Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which sees MPs Chris Penk and Penny Simmons get promoted, while MP Chris Bishop loses leader of the House and National Party campaign Chair role, but become Attorney-General. Former National Party Staffer and co-host of the 'Gone By Lunchtime' podcast Ben Thomas discusses the changes with Jesse.

Earlier this week we talk to broadcaster Joanna Paul-Robie on her cancer struggles, and how challenging it is being stuck in the middle: alive with terminal cancer that cannot be cured. That conversation inspired listener Andrew Dunn to get in touch with us to share his story in response.

Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky is a world renowned expert in happiness and after more than three decades of research, she says she sees a connection between happiness and not just being loved, but feeling loved. That's not just romantically, but with friends and family too. Dr Lyubomirsky says we can help create the love we are hoping for with simple things like curiosity and listening. She's co-written a new book called How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most.

Dish Magazine Editor and CEO Sarah Tuck joins Jesse to share a recipe hack her team discovered on TikTok.

Today we're heading off to Palau. Palau is an island nation that's part of the Micronesia subregion. Lonely Planet destination editor Jessica Lockhart joins us to share her travel tales.

Our weekly catch up with Our Changing World's Claire Concannon and this week she's looking into marine plastic pollution. But first she can share an update on the Kakapo breeding season.

We've been having lots of conversations about energy recently, and one area many of you have told us we should be talking about is geothermal. Geothermal Energy provides around 18% of our total electricity supply currently, but should we be looking to tap into this source more and boost that figure? Here to discuss, is Associate Professor John O'Sullivan from Auckland University's 'Geothermal Institute'.'

Awkwardly it seems many parts of the world have yet to catch up on their goodness, but that's about to change, well in South Korea at least. Kristine Kim has relocated from New Zealand to Seoul and that's where she's set up the Auckland Pie Garage.

NASA has begun the countdown to its first crewed mission to the Moon in 53 years! The historic mission, called Artemis II, is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday morning, NZ time, carrying four astronauts on board on a ten-day voyage around the moon Here to tell us more about the mission is Sam Lawler, Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Regina in Canada.

There could be a major shake-up to our alcohol laws later today A bill going before Parliament would allow bars, pubs, and clubs to open on religious holidays, including Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and Anzac Day morning. Currently, bars and restaurants can only sell alcohol if customers are "residing or lodging" on the premises, or if they are there to dine. Critics say the law is confusing. While patrons are generally expected to order a "substantial meal" to be served alcohol, there's no clear legal definition of what that means, and no requirement that the food actually be eaten. These laws have been in place since the late 19th century, and we wondered what these potential changes might reveal about our relationship with religion. Religious studies expert and Massey University Professor Emeritus of History Peter Lineham chats to Jesse.

Teenage hackers are reaching into online systems that run governments, corporations, and everyday life. The face of cybercrime isn't always an awkward, tech genius, it's often teens working with friends to shut down networks and extort millions. Joe Tidy is the BBC's cyber correspondent, and for the past decade he's been tracking a new generation of young hackers. His new book explores that underground world, and what the rest of us can do to protect ourselves. It's called Ctrl + Alt + Chaos: How Teenage Hackers Hijack the Internet.

Tuesdays mean You're the Judge; that's our weekly segment where we get your judgement on an irk, an issue, or a situation you need guidance on. It can be big issues like repairing friendships or separating couples into different retirement home, or smaller ones like whether it's okay to kiss your pet then kiss your partner. Today we're looking at if you should tell the truth at any cost. We love getting your reckons on 2101.

Time to talk about what's happening in the world of technology, Tim Batt joins me and we're going to start by looking at the new White House ballroom and what might lie beneath. Tim and Jesse also discuss the case of Meta and YouTube being sued by a young woman.

There's a long history of Kiwi musicians writing songs to support a good cause. Audioculture Te Iwi Waiata's Gareth Shute has been investigating the songs and the stories behind them. He chats to Jesse.

Book critic Lisa Glass joins Jesse to discuss three books that are ''speculative light'; novels with an element of sci fi for people who don't like sci fi. The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey - Penguin Books New Zealand The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - Hodder & Stoughton Kings of This World - Elizabeth Knox - Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand

We're going to talk bunkers now, because a company that builds them says it's seen inquiries from New Zealanders double since the start of the Iran war. So how much space do you need to put in a bunker, what do they even look like, and how do you go about designing and building them? Here to help answer those questions is Louis Clarke, principal of Hardened Protective Technologies.

A fragment of a jawbone found in a cave in Somerset, UK, has revealed that dogs became man's best buddy 15,000 years ago. DNA analysis shows the jaw belonged to one of the earliest known domesticated dogs which suggest the friendship between the very first dogs and stone age humans was there almost from the very start. Originally from Kaikoura, Dr Lachie Scarsbrook is an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Oxford's Research Laboratory for Archaeology. He chats to Jesse.

A couple of months ago, one of you got in touch to ask about the welfare of animals on farms, and whether their wellbeing in heat, cold or rain was considered. We know that rising temperatures and heat stress are growing issues for humans - but what about the animals many of us rely on for our food? We called in a farmer to give us his perspective - joining us now from a dairy farm southwest of Te Awamutu, it's Pete Morgan.

President Trump has threatened to "obliterate" Iran's oil export hub of Kharg Island, oil wells and power plants if it does not soon agree to a deal to end the war even as he claimed talks were going well. But a spokesperson for Iran has once again denied any negotiations with US officials. Here to try and help us make sense of it all, Jesse is joined by Retired Major General John Howard. He is a former New Zealand Chief of Defence Intelligence and also a former Deputy Director at the US Defence Intelligence Agency in Washington DC.

When you recover from cancer, everyone celebrates. When you're dying, they grieve. But when you're managing to stay alive with terminal cancer that cannot be cured, the world doesn't quite know what to do. This is where broadcaster Joanna Paul-Robie finds herself. In the middle. Four years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer at stage 4. Constant chemo and drug therapy is keeping her alive. A recent piece in The Guardian newspaper articulated this middle ground in a way Joanna had found difficult to convey to friends and family. She's sharing her story to help others understand the stamina and constant calculations needed to work out how to spend the time and energy the long middle requires.

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (Disney+) How Are You It's Alan (Partridge) (Neon) Season two of apocalyptic drama Paradise (Disney+)

It's time to dive deep with our Monday Expert feature, and today we're talking fossils. More specifically we'll get into what it takes to become a great amateur fossil hunter, so if you have any questions for our expert, send them to 2101. Morne Mamlambo's an amateur fossil hunter living in the South Island who has amassed a huge online following. You can find him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, just look up "Mamlambo Fossils".

Grab your dancing shoes, or maybe your Ham radio, knitting machine, or lawnmower race car because it's time for us to go clubbing. Every Monday we hit the clubs; we've been members at gardening clubs, pinball clubs, pigeon racing clubs but we know there are more out there. If you think we should cover your club get in touch 2101 or [email protected], the quirkier, the better. This week we're talking to John Ayto from the NZ Historical Arms Association.

We catch up with Brad Foster, our man on the ground in Australia. He tells us about the news hitting the headlines across the Tasman.

With the unemployment rate sitting at the highest it's been in a decade, 5.4 percent, hunting for a new job can feel like the ultimate up-hill battle. We're hearing stories of unprecedented number of applicants of people being declined almost as soon as they've sent their CV, while others tell us they never hear back at all. Add in rising costs and all this chat about AI, it can be hard to know where to even start. So to share some insights into job hunting in this tough market is Gabrielle Cutfield, founder of Emerging Engines.

A young Aucklander is starting early with his commitment to protecting our native animals. At just seven, Jaxton is a regular pest trapping volunteer in his community of Franklin, and is now a Trap Master at a local reserve. The school holidays are coming up which means Jaxton will have more time for his hobby, but it also means other children have a chance to get involved thanks to EcoFest - that's a series of events that get the whole family involved in protecting our native taonga. To learn more about trapping, conservation and EcoFest, Jaxton and Community Coordinator Carrie Harman are with Jesse.

Breaking up the four major electricity companies once sounded like a fringe idea, but it's a concept that keeps being floated so is it worth properly considering? Winston Peters has announced NZ First will campaign on it, high-profile business leaders have long been calling for government intervention, so could this actually happen? And what would it mean for household electricity bills? Political commentator Bryce Edwards joins Jesse to discuss the issue.

Iolanthe cicadas are one of our smallest cicada species, found in the North Island from the Coromandel Peninsula to Wellington. This species has become extremely rare in the wild and there are very few modern sightings or recordings. Males have a very high-pitched song used for calling females. Because of the high frequency of the song, some adults may not be able to hear the call at all. Due to its lack of sightings, its threat status is unknown. However, its rarity is worrying, especially with no information on their ecology and population density. Nicola Toki chats all things critters with Jesse.

Landscape designer Tony Murrell is with Jesse to discuss what you should plant if you're looking to pay tribute to or remember somebody special to you. His suggestions are: Jacaranda mimosifolia flowering late spring early summer. Prunus mountain haze or awanui good for small gardens soft pink flowers. Metrosiderous excelsa , moon maiden [yellow flower] or scarlett pimpernel [ smaller growing coastal sport form red flowering late December through January] and Mistral upright Rata Sport named after the French wind. Ficus nitida – well behaved tidy evergreen tree with a large dense canopy of verdant green. Acer Palmatum – Japanese maple , sculptural form beautiful dappled shade. Quercus suber – Cork oak – majestic and rustic evergreen cork bark oak. Olea europea Olive – sculptural spiritual Trees , fruiting in summer. Cedrus atlantica glauca or Lebanii – ‘The bearing of the Cedars’ Pinus thumbergii – Japanese black pines. Knightea excelsa – NZ Native honeysuckle. Liquidamber gumball – 3/3 m mound shaped. Cunnonia capensis South African butter knife bush evergreen flowering interesting foliage. Vitex lucens – NZ Native Puriri. Cercis forest Pansy. Lagerstromia indica , flowering in pink , red ,white and mauve. Podocarpus totara matapouri blue – NZ Native blue totara – can be purchased in cloud pruned shapes fabulous sculptural forms that can work amongst grass gardens and more formal designs. Cussonia spicata – African cabbage Tree – ELEPHANTS favorite dinner. Erythrina christa Gallii – Coral flower Tree.

Julie Biuso from Shared Kitchen shares her recipe for Hummingbird cake. One story behind this cake goes that it is sweet enough to attract and delight a hummingbird. It's easier to make a two-tiered cake rather than the usual three, and most home cooks are unlikely to own three matching cake tins. The sponges are oil-based and have a light texture. It's one of those lovely cake batters that doesn't call for butter, sugar, and eggs to be creamed, but like muffin batters, don't beat it - just mix the ingredients gently together.

Afternoons critic Kate Rodger is here to share what's on at the cinema: No Tears on the Field If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

It's the home for your spooky stories and eerie coincidences. If you have an experience to share get in touch on 2101 or email me at [email protected] and one of our producers might give you a call. Today we're speaking to Christine, who listens to the show from New Jersey in the USA.

Emma Watkins, is one of Australia - and New Zealand's - most beloved children's entertainers. Known for her time as the iconic 'Yellow Wiggle' she's continued to captivate kids of all ages with her character, Emma Memma. She's back in New Zealand and joins Jesse to explain why.

Depending on the conditions he swims two six-hour stints a day, five days in a row, before taking a rest day. He's attempting to break the world record for the longest unassisted staged swim, all to raise awareness for ocean health and call for an end to bottom trawling, one of the most destructive fishing practices still allowed in New Zealand waters He's teamed up with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke's marine conservation charity, Live Ocean, to deliver a petition to Parliament and is now just 111 kilometres from Wellington.

Humans may have more in common with animals than we thought, especially when it comes to attraction. New research suggests we're drawn to the same mating calls as other species supporting Darwin's observation that animals share our "taste for the beautiful." Dr Sam Mehr from the University of Auckland and Yale University is the senior author of this new study, he joins Jesse.

'Project Hail Mary' - the new Hollywood blockbuster starting Ryan Gosling, has a New Zealand connection. One of the film's most pivotal scenes includes a recording of the classic Waiata 'Po Atarau'. The version in the film was recorded in 1976 by the Turakina Girls' College choir Ex-student, and former principal of the school - which closed in 2015 - Terehia Channings is with Jesse.a

Data from Stats NZ shows that trust in our public health system has been falling for well over a decade. 35 percent of New Zealand adults invest in health insurance, many of you citing long waits and unreliability of the public system as the reason why. In a new paper published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, Dr Erik Monasterio examines whether we are rapidly moving towards the privatisation of health care. He discusses with Jesse.

Even in an enchanted tree where fairies and men with faces like the moon live, someone has to do the laundry. And in a film adaptation of the classic Enid Blyton book, The Magic Faraway Tree, that job falls to actress Jessica Gunning. She is Dame Washalot who, does a lot of laundry, carelessly tossing buckets of sudsy water down the tree, sometimes drenching children who discover the magic world in the branches. Jessica Gunning captured acting magic in 2024, staring in the hit series Baby Reindeer and wining just about every award going. She joins a stellar cast including Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. The Magic Faraway Tree is in theaters now.

Dr Grant Morris chats to Jesse about carless days, CNG and lower speed limits - driving in NZ in 1979 - truths vs myths. The 2026 Iran War has resulted in surging fuel prices. Many Kiwis of a certain age remember the carless days of 1979 but this is only one example of the many measures used at the time.